Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a testing device for use in processing machines of the type useful for processing documents and, more particularly, apparatus for checking the authenticity of test objects such as paper money, bank notes and the like.
Hitherto, position-related tests have been carried out by means of various pressure devices. For example, a device for feeding tickets and magnetic cards into a magnetic card reader is described in German laid-open patent specification 41 22 916. Rollers and pressure springs are utilized for guidance in a defined manner. Similar guides, in particular contacting and measuring rollers journaled to be freely rotatable, are used in accordance with German laid-open patent specification 40 16 961 disclosing a method of measuring and a device for determining the electrical surface resistance of metallic strips.
The known pressure devices are subject to wear and tear and they contribute to the deterioration of the test objects. German laid-open patent specification 35 13 635 describes a device for receiving, testing and storing monetary notes, whereby positional or alignment testing is performed by means of a gap in a roller, thus leading to similar disadvantages as described above. German patent 40 37 333 describes an adapter for contacting passive structural components with a measuring and testing device utilizing fixed and movable contact elements and pneumatically movable contact pins. This manner of positioning test objects is very complex and may be applied to but few processing machines. U.K. patent application 2 016 141 describes a system for detecting the presence of a test object within a defined range. Since distance is to be measured, pressure means are not to be used.
The pressure means used in testing devices for authenticity checks serve to render these devices functionally reliable. The known pressure devices are subject to wear and tear and contribute to additional deterioration of the test objects.